


Tamzin at School

by DaughterOfTheRains



Category: Romney Marsh - Monica Edwards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 16:38:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2075319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaughterOfTheRains/pseuds/DaughterOfTheRains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For anyone who's read the pony books by Monica Edwards, this imagines Tamzin Grey and Rissa Birnie from the Romney Marsh series at their high school itself, rather<br/>than having one of the outside adventures the books are about. It's set directly after A Wind is Blowing, the last in the series. Not complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tamzin at School

It was a fine early September morning as Tamzin rode through Church Square in Dunsford on Cascade as was often the case with no saddle, only a bridle, his hooves click-clacking on the tarmac. She was still thinking about all the stressful adventures of the past summer with Meryon temporarily losing his sight and so on, gladly knowing somehow that it had been the very last such adventure. Then she suddenly realised that she'd completely forgotten about the maths part of her holiday work, what would her form mistress say?  
When she didn't take the bus, in winter, the pony was tied up in the bike shed. But in good weather he was parked at the back of the playing fields and grazed on the grass. Tamzin cantered across the pitches and tied the halter rope firmly to the wire fence, rushed into school past boys and girls, where she went into a lavatory to change from shorts to school skirt. She'd been in too much of a hurry for the side saddle. Then she met Rissa. Both were now in the fifth form, and Tamzin had at the end of last term been elected form prefect.

"How are you then?"

"Not so good, forgot my maths holiday work. What about you?"

"Ok I suppose, did get it done"

Then Hydrangea and Ariadne Lilycrop appeared, running and giggling noisily with Diccon and Edward Adcock.

"No running or loud conversation in the corridors!" said Tamzin firmly.

The Lilycrop girls looked amazed and the boys scowled. But they muttered assent, then carried on more quietly.

"You're good", said Rissa.

"Well..." said Tamzin hesitantly.

They both headed to assembly, for prayers and the beginning of term address by the headmistress, Miss Ash. Followed by a double maths lesson with Miss Barker, who usually fully lived up to her name.

"Good morning girls, please have your holiday task ready so I can collect it" said the mistress, pacing round the room. She took the papers from Rissa and another girl, Emily Grant, then came to Tamzin's desk. She looked awkward.

"Well then?" said Miss Barker rather impatiently.

"Sorry, I had a very stressful summer and completely forgot about it"

"That's not neccessarily a good excuse, really?"

"Yes, can I see you afterwards?"

"Alright then"

Rissa and Emily were both very good at maths, unlike Tamzin. The rest of the lesson was about the complicated topic of surds.

"So Tamzin, what have you got to say for yourself? You are a prefect now, you know" said Miss Barker doubtfully.

"Well it was really quite traumatic throughout. My boyfriend getting attacked by bank robbers and so on. I've had many similar scrapes over the years but nothing quite like that" she explained much of it.

"Goodness, are you alright now?"

"Yes, thanks"

"As long as you get it all done by next week, then"

The next lesson was English with Miss Leighton, a subject she liked far more, especially as they were currently studying Wuthering Heights. Then Tamzin headed to the middles’ common room for coffee and biscuits.  
As she sat down with Rissa and Emily, Jennifer Deeprose and her friends glared at them from the other side, talked about makeup and fashion, but said nothing. Luke Fowler glanced at Tam from across the room, but she ignored him as always.

"Did you get into hot water?" said Emily, a girl with a single long brown plait unlike Tamzin's two.

"No, she was fine about it really. How's Bunty's colic, Emily, was'nt it quite serious?" said Tamzin. They were some of the few pupils who sometimes rode to school.

"Oh right, yes Bunt nearly died, but the vet gave her an injection, it should be alright. Do you want to play tennis sometime, Rissa?"

"Yes, why not? Tamzin, do you think you'll be able to stay with Meryon now he's gone to Cambridge?"

"I really don't know"

Dunsford High School had 650 pupils, with some boarders. It had recently controversially become a comprehensive school. 

"Can I borrow your guide to Romeo and Juliet?" said Gysophila Lilycrop. She was deputy form prefect alongside Tamzin, and quite often despaired of the behaviour of most of her numerous siblings.

"Of course" said Tamzin.

Then it was the end of break, Rissa and Emily went to Chemistry with Miss Trant, Emily, Tamzin and Gysophila to German with Herr Beck. Then they all had physics with Mr Dunne, Tamzin liked the non-maths side of that.  
Afterwards it was lunchtime, she and Gysophila again intervened to stop Daisy Lilycrop fighting with Charlotte Goddard in the queue.  
Monday afternoons were always devoted to PE, each form often did different things to some extent. Today the fifths were going swimming at Dunsford baths.

"Get into the water" said Mrs Ellis, the games mistress, when they had all got changed. They all jumped or dived in except Tamzin, who had gone to the lavatory again.

"Five lengths breaststroke to begin"

Unfortunately Jennifer and her friend Gwen Fletcher then decided to duck and hold Rissa under the water, because they saw her as a boring swot. Emily was'nt a prefect, but she pulled them apart.

"What the hell are you doing?" she said.

"Oh just get lost" replied Jennifer.

The mistress gave her an order mark and Emily got one for swearing. Tamzin jumped in, and they did five lengths of all strokes with two of butterfly to finish before showering.

"She's a rather nasty piece of work isn't she?" said Gysophila.

"Yes, perhaps we'll have to get the sixth form prefects involved" said Tamzin.

Cascade was always pleased to see her at the end of the school day. She mounted him and rode rapidly home to Westling vicarage to sort out her maths. Rissa was quite envious, normally only being able to ride at weekends in termtime. Jim was operating the ferry with his old black and white cat Billingham.  
Tamzin put her pony in the paddock and gave him some oats and water.

"Good day?" said her mother, Diccon was sitting there as well drinking tea with an iced bun.

"Nothing wrong, mummy. Alright Dicky?" she lied.

"Yes, but it's still much harder than primary school. I hate the school rules"

"They're there for a reason you know" 

"Oh shut up, Tam"

"Now don't quarrel" said their mother.

Tamzin took her tea upstairs. They had no television, but she had got a radio from her aunt in Surrey for Christmas. She turned it on to pop music, and began the maths exercises which were as tough as she'd thought.


End file.
